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From: need@bloomfield.uchicago.edu (Barbara Need)
Subject: William I and English (was Re: Anglo-Saxons & Celts)
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Date: Sat, 8 Apr 1995 16:35:52 GMT
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In article <797185429.AA05425@clone.his.com> maury.merkin@his.com (Maury  
Merkin) writes:
> On (03 Apr 95) K Thier wrote to All...

[stuff omitted]

>  KT> : What language was used in Normandy in 1066 ?
> 
>  Latin for official documents and proceedings (courts of law, e.g.) but
>  "Norman French" for most communication.  And, of course, this was the
>  way William conducted business on the conquered island.  William
>  and his court spoke no English whatsoever.

Well this just isn't true. William tried to learn English (how  
successfully I don't know) and there are many letters in English  
beginning, "I William, by grace of God King of England and Duke of  
Normandy to Baron X, Biship Y, and Sheriff Z" (or words to that effect)  
for William I, William II, Henry I and probably Stephen. (I am certain  
about the first three: the name William came up in a search of the Old  
English database I have for _will_.) Now, both Latin and Norman French  
were also used, but not to the exclusion of English.

Barbara Need
University of Chicago--Linguistics

[other stuff deleted]
